DOWNER

5 years ago

Feds: Pot Isn’t Medicine

Eric Risberg / AP Photo

It only took them nine years, but the U.S. federal government has finally announced it will not legalize marijuana for medical purposes and that the drug should remain classified as highly dangerous—despite research proving its effectiveness in treating diseases like multiple sclerosis and improving appetite for chemotherapy patients. The state of California, which legalized the drug's medical use and opened a "Walmart of Weed" in June, will likely be unhappy about the new ruling. The decision was made two months after advocates of the drug asked a repeals court to push the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to address their petition to approve its medicinal use.